kansascity
The longest play from the previous Super Bowl took time to unfold. Kenneth Walker retreated five yards behind the line of scrimmage to evade a tackle, then reached the perimeter before breaking another, then sped downfield before breaking one more, ultimately resulting in a 30-yard run.
Approximately 1,600 miles away in Kansas City, the quarterback who had appeared in the past three Super Bowls took out his phone and sent a message to his general manager.
Dang, Patrick Mahomes typed, hes going to be MVP.
Months earlier, the Chiefs front office had convened shortly after Thanksgiving. One season had unexpectedly unraveled, and it was time to prepare for the next. As part of their annual process, the Chiefs top lieutenants met to analyze and scout the soon-to-be free agent class, position by position. Eventually they progressed to a spot they knew they would attempt to target: running back.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach walked through the teams training facility a few days later, where Mahomes was rehabbing from knee surgery. This Kenneth Walker, Veach told him, is pretty interesting.
The Chiefs planned to prioritize a way to not only bring an explosiveness to the run game, but a way to take advantage of an interior line built for power running. Walker, they assessed during those meetings last winter, just might be able to do both. And, who knows, maybe he would come cheaper in the looming offseason frenzy than some of the other top-of-market running backs, considering he had spent the season in Seattle locked in a time-share.
Then came the playoffs. Then came the Super Bowl. Then came that 30-yard run. And then came that text to Veach, to which the GM replied, in so many words: This guy is going to play himself onto the franchise tag.
The Super Bowl MVP honor, in other words, did not solidify the Chiefs early scouting meetings. They feared it would render them useless. The best-case scenario is their aspirational target would become more expensive than they had perhaps initially projected. The worst-case scenario is he wouldnt hit free agency at all.
But theres a funny twist to Walkers eventual transition to Kansas City a few weeks later. After years of having to let key pieces walk in free agency, as the victims of Super Bowl success and high-dollar players, the Chiefs instead became the beneficiaries of that sort of dynamic. Seattle had other guys to pay. Walker hit free agency, where he stayed on the market for, oh, less than an hour.
In two weeks this year, he has been a savior for an offense that employs the best player in football yet couldnt fully unleash the skill-set to make him operate like the best player in football. Walker has not only provided some explosiveness and physicality in the Chiefs running game but has been so good that last week the Colts built their entire defensive game plan around him. They dared someone else to beat them, and for the Chiefs, that someone else is Mahomes. He responded with his best day in nearly three years.
The most intriguing part of Walkers performance isnt just its immediate impact. Its how. The list is long longer than the film showed. Sure, Walker has put on display what he did in Seattle. He has been credited with 23 missed tackles forced in two weeks, per PFF nine more than any other running back this season, and 10 more than Isiah Pacheco had all of last year. Thats the player everyone knew Walker was he led the NFL in avoided-tackle percentage in 2025. Thats why an opposing defense just might get the idea to put more numbers into the box: It requires numbers to bring that guy down.
But the Chiefs have also landed a player that Seattle never put on display. Literally, never. Even after the Chiefs revamped a running back room that indeed needed a complete overhaul, two things remained outstanding two roles that Walker didnt occupy at his previous stop. Who would contribute in the passing game? Who would take care of short yardage? Turns out, its Walker. Oh, and Walker.
This is the part that wasnt included in that early-look-at-free-agency meeting, because the Seahawks werent putting it on film. Walker had zero short-yardage carries (third or fourth down, with one or two yards to go) in the regular season. He had one in the NFC Championship Game. The Chiefs lost Kareem Hunt, the most efficient short-yardage back in the NFL, even more efficient than the Tush Push.
Its early. Were still in September. But Walker has been handed the football eight times in short-yardage situations this year. He has seven first downs. He has doubled every player in the league except one through two weeks. (Rachaad White, a Kansas City native who plays for the Commanders, has four first downs on short yardage.) Walkers expected points added (EPA) in short yardage is 8.74. The second-best running back on the list is at 3.85. Hes lapping the field in a category in which the Seahawks didnt try to use him.
Well, two of them. Seattle pretty much took Walker off the field on all third downs, short yardage or otherwise, in favor of Zach Charbonnet. Which, look, this isnt remotely a criticism. Charbonnet can play. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl. The formula kind of worked, right? But Walker has nine catches for 79 yards in two weeks. Hes tied for third in the NFL in receiving yards out of the backfield. He ranks fourth in yards per route run. Hes second in first downs. Hes so effective that the Chiefs have spent time studying when they can best afford to play without him.
They spent the NFLs free agency period primarily looking for an impact player. They then hoped his playoff run wouldnt put him out of their reach. They got that player. And now? Theyre getting more from that player.
Originally reported by kansascity.